Series of playing card games based on the prediction of a player hand exceeding a numerical value of 21

ABSTRACT

The Backhand Series is a collection of card counting games derived from the classic game of blackjack, but wholly novel and uniquely based on the concept of allowing a player to predict if/when the next card in the deck when added to their initial player hand comprising of two cards dealt to the player face up from a standard deck of playing cards with the jokers removed, will cause their initial hand value to exceed a total hand value of 21. The Series is comprised of three individual card games with the following names: “Backhand, the card game;” “Buffalo Bayou Backhand” and “Missouri City Backhand.”

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/535,593 filed on Jul. 21, 2017, U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 62/544,837 filed on Aug. 13, 2017 and U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/544,849 filed on Aug. 13,2017 and the disclosure of which is in part incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The genesis of this invention was my desire to improve my skills atplaying the classic game of blackjack, which has now led me to thismoment. We all know very well classic blackjack as well as its almostinnumerable variations, and at the outset, my only desire was to learnall of classic blackjack's rules, strategies, etc. But this was not tobe. And what has resulted from my attempt to perfect a strategy for theclassic game of blackjack is a series of three playing card games whollyunique in objective, rules set, and game mechanics. Collectively, thethree playing card games that make up this invention will be referred toin this document as “The Backhand Series,” but each of these games aremeant to be played separately and will be referred to individually inthis document as: “Backhand, the card game,” “Buffalo Bayou Backhand,”and “Missouri City Backhand.” And although there are a few fundamentalsimilarities between classic blackjack and this invention, they are asfar apart in experience and game play as the sun is from the moon.

The story of how I stumbled upon the first game in The Backhand Seriesbegins after I brought home four decks of playing cards from a cruise mywife and I took the first week in October 2016. And as previouslystated, I was really trying to spend as much time as I could, improvingmy black jack skills and thought it was a good idea to fill my sparetime at work playing hands at my desk during my down time. After a fewdays I grew tired of constantly dealing out cards to my imaginaryopponent and decided to just deal to myself. This was really intended tohelp me focus on just guessing if my next card would bust me or not andso I wanted to give it a name. I needed something to call out every timeI thought the next card in the deck would bust my hand. After severalhands, I coined the term ‘Backhand.’ This term as used in this inventionis when the player predicts that the next card in the deck will causetheir hand to exceed a numerical value of 21, and therefore requests a‘backhand’ card from the deck. In its purest form, backhand onlyrequires one player and one standard deck of playing cards with thejokers removed. The player deals two cards face up and must choose totake a hit or not. If the player chooses to take a hit and draws a cardto busts his hand, the player loses just as in the game of black jack.But in the game of Backhand, if the player thinks the next card in thedeck will cause them to bust, the player can request a backhand card(i.e. “call backhand”). If they're correct and the next card dealt doescause the player's hand to bust, the player wins the hand. But if theplayer calls backhand and the next card doesn't bust the player's handthe player will lose. I played this game for several hours and startedto play with a few of my coworkers. It was at that point, when Irealized this game had so much more potential. I quickly began to createa set of rules that has now developed into the first game in TheBackhand Series: ‘Backhand, the card game.’

The name ‘Buffalo Bayou backhand’ comes from the famous bayou which runsthrough my hometown of Houston Tex. This game is what I call the‘younger brother’ of the original game of backhand and is very unique.Buffalo Bayou Backhand developed into its own unique game as a result ofresolving many issues in the first version of backhand. The two gamescan now stand alone on their own as brothers, as it were. A player canplay backhand, the card game for hours, then Buffalo Bayou backhand andthe two experiences would be as night and day. This is because backhand,the card game plays much quicker and the player's only opponent is thedeck. There is also no dealer hand involved. Therefore, the game playrelies heavily on the player's ability to navigate through the hand witha series of decisions based only on the player's initial hand value anda ‘gut feeling.’ The player's choices based on these factors, as well asthe unknown order of the remaining cards in the deck will have theultimate impact on the hand. Buffalo Bayou Backhand introduces a ‘dealerhand’ that is comprised of three cards, facing up. They are dealt infront of the player from right to left before the initial player hand isdealt. Also, with the addition of the “dealer hand,” along with the“dealer total” and “player total,” both the hit and backhand cards nowcreate a possibility where both the player total and dealer totals areequal. Therefore, a critical rule modification was made to allow for aunique situation that develops in the game of Buffalo Bayou backhandwith regard to push hands. Another interesting point is that thepositioning of the cards in Buffalo Bayou backhand is very importantbecause the player's hand and dealer hand are dealt in a specificspatial orientation. If this ‘spacing’ is not adhered to, game play canbe negatively impacted.

Note: Unlike in the classic game of blackjack, the term ‘Push’ as it isapplied in The Backhand Series, simply means that the player can chooseto push their initial player hand away in exchange for a new hand fromthe deck. This option is given to the player based on the player'sinitial hand value. Any and all rules and modifications will beexplained in detail throughout the body of this document as required.

Missouri City backhand is by far one of the most exciting card games Ihave ever played. This is not because I invented it, but because Icannot stop playing it. This game is the third (and final) in TheBackhand Series and completes what has become an obsession of sorts formyself and a select few. The concepts of this game combine and buildupon its predecessors by introducing the final component in what hasdeveloped into a unique, fast-paced, competitive strategy-focused cardgame which now pits two players against each other, with the dealerfulfilling the role more of a facilitator than a participant. It startsout very similarly to Buffalo Bayou backhand where the dealer hand isdealt from right to left first, but in this game, there are two playersinstead of one. Therefore, the individual initial player hands are to bedealt next. In Buffalo Bayou backhand, the player's initial player handwas dealt to the left-bottom corner of the dealer hand just on the rowbelow the dealer's show cards. This is still the case. But now inMissouri City Backhand, the second player's initial player hand ispositioned at the top-left corner of the dealer hand, opposite of thefirst player's initial player hand. Just as in Buffalo Bayou backhand,the spatial orientation of all the cards on the playing surface iscritical, and any deviation could negatively impact the game.

This game came to me as a lightning bolt and I really can't remember allof the circumstances around where I was when it hit, and it also took along time to develop the rules because it needed another player so thatI could test, develop, modify and perfect the rules of play. During thisprocess, several more eureka moments invaded my body, forcing me torefine different concepts until a finished product was ready. As of whenI write this, the Backhand series is composed of three games: “Backhand,the card game,” “Buffalo Bayou backhand” and “Missouri City backhand.”

Another unique feature of Missouri City Backhand is its focus onstrategy. In Backhand, there is no dealer and no second player, so theplayer's only opponents are the deck and themselves. The hands played inbackhand go as fast as the player can make their decision. A backhandplayer only has to get a five card hand, a successful backhand play or asuccessful push hand to win. Buffalo Bayou backhand introduces thedealer as the first real opponent to the player, so the player now hasto have an advantage over the dealer total to win, unless they have afive card hand. In Missouri City backhand, now the player has tostrategize the best method to win against the second player's winninghand. Strategy plays a big part as you will see throughout thisdocument.

I named Missouri City Backhand after the neighborhood I spent most of myteenage and young adult years, south of Houston, Tex. and is my way ofhonoring this wonderful place which helped mold me into the inventorthat is authoring this document today.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a series of three playing card games referred to inthis document as “The Backhand Series” and is similar in part to theclassic game of blackjack, but wholly unique in objective, rules set,and game mechanics to the classic game.

The fundamental game concept is based on the player's ability to predictif/when the next card in the deck will cause their hand to exceed atotal hand value of 21. Using this concept as the foundation, in concertwith additional rules, The Backhand Series is set apart from the classicgame of blackjack and any known variations.

The Backhand Series is comprised of three playing card counting games,referred to individually as: “Backhand the card game,” “Buffalo BayouBackhand” and “Missouri City Backhand.” But to fully explain theuniqueness of this invention, it is also important to highlight wherethe games are similar to blackjack. All of the games in this inventionare played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards with the jokersremoved. Although, in Backhand the card game, multiple players may bedealt to in the same game. In this case, it is recommended to use morethan one deck if dealing to more than three players at once. There arealso no custom cards or additional game pieces required to play any ofthe games in this invention. Another similarity is that the terms“hitting” and “busting” are used the same way in all the games in thisinvention as they are in the classic game of blackjack and suits do nothave any impact on the games in any way. Also, face cards are valued at10 and a player may not be dealt more than five cards in a hand.

**Note: The suits will generally be ignored and not referred to in thissection as they do not have any impact on the game, unless used todifferentiate between cards in a hand.

One of the first differences someone would notice immediately is thatall the cards in this invention are dealt face up, therefore there is nodealer hole card in any of the three games. But where this inventionreally begins to separate itself from the classic game of blackjack isfirst that the player (in most cases) will have the option to request abackhand card. If a backhand card is requested, the player is dealt thenext card in the deck which is added to the player's hand. If the newtotal hand value is greater than 21, the player wins the hand. If it isnot, the player will lose the hand. Also, this invention includessomething called the “Ace Rule.” The Ace Rule states that if a player'sinitial player hand contains an ace, that ace must be discarded andreplaced with the next card in the deck. If the player's initial playerhand contains two aces, both of them must be discarded and replaced. Theplayer must keep the next cards given to them, no matter the suit orvalue. Additionally, the term “push” is used differently. In classicblackjack, the term “push” refers to when the hand value of the player'shand and the dealer's hand are equal. In The Backhand Series, the term“push” is used as both a noun and a verb. As a noun, “Push” is used inthe phrase “push hand” which refers to a player's initial player hand oftwo cards that have a combined numerical value of between 17 and 20. Asa verb, the term “push” is when the player is given the option to pushtheir hand away in exchange for a new hand. This option is onlyavailable to the player when their initial hand value is between 17 and20. Also, the phrase “playing the push” is when the player chooses toaccept a hit card instead of pushing the hand.

Another critical difference is how the ace is valued. In classicblackjack, the ace is valued at 1 or 11 for both the dealer and theplayer. But in this invention, the ace is valued depending on what it isbeing used to calculate. In Backhand, the card game, the ace is valuedat only 1 and is either an “initial player ace” or a “player ace.” Theinitial player ace is an ace that is one of the first two cards dealt tothe player referred to as the initial player hand (prior to the Ace Rulebeing satisfied). If this occurs, the Ace Rule requires that this ace bediscarded and replaced with the next card in the deck. If that card isalso an ace, then said ace is referred to as a player ace. Both types ofaces in Backhand the card game are valued at 1. But in Buffalo BayouBackhand, there is also a “dealer ace.” This is an ace that is any otherace dealt to the player after the first two cards are dealt and the AceRule is satisfied. These aces are valued at only 1 for the player, but 1or 11 to the advantage of the dealer.

Additional differences between the games in this invention and classicblackjack is that all the cards in this invention are dealt face up onthe playing surface. Also in the first two games, there is the “NoLoitering” rule, which states that the player does not have the optionto “stay” or “hold” or “stand pat.” The player is required to completelyresolve the hand. But in Missouri City Backhand, this rule does notapply, so either player can stand pat as long as they have player totaladvantage over the dealer total, after requesting a hit card. Alsounlike in classic blackjack, there is no splitting, doubling orinsurance options for the player.

The following sections (I-XXV) provide a guide to interpreting thepresent application

-   -   I. Backhand or backhand card—The term “Backhand” as it is        referred to throughout this document, will be used as a both a        noun and a verb. When used as a verb, the term “backhand” refers        to the act of requesting a backhand card (i.e. “calling        backhand”). When a player calls backhand, the dealer will draw        the next card from the deck to be placed next to the player's        hand on the playing surface. The numerical value of said card is        then added to the player's current hand creating a new total        hand value. If the new total hand value exceeds 21, the player        wins the hand. If the new total hand value does not exceed 21,        the player loses. Players should not call backhand with a total        hand value less than 12. When used as a noun, the term        “backhand” is referring to either a backhand card (as requested        by the player) or the backhand card game itself (e.g. “Backhand        is my favorite card game”).    -   II. Hit or Hit card—The act of calling for a hit card or ‘Hit’        is when the player requests to be dealt the next card in the        deck so as to be added to their current hand. The dealer then        deals the next card to the player and a new hand value is        determined. As in blackjack, if the new hand value exceeds 21,        the player loses the hand. If the new hand value does not exceed        21, the player is presented with the option to take a hit or        call backhand. As long as the ace rule is satisfied, the        player's hand contains less than five cards, and the player's        hand value is less than 21, the player will always be presented        the options to take a hit card or call backhand, until after the        fifth card is dealt; with the following exceptions: a player        shall never be dealt more than five cards in a hand; the first        option on low hands is to take a hit card only. Remember that        push hands are also an exception to this rule because the player        only has to take a hit once, and on push hands, backhand is not        an option.    -   III. The “Ace Rule”—If a player's first two cards contain an ace        of any type, said ace (or aces) are discarded and replaced by        the next card/s in the deck immediately after the initial player        hand is dealt. Once the ace (or aces) are replaced, a hand type        is determined and options are presented to the player based on        the new hand type. If an initial player ace is replaced with        another ace, the new ace shall not be discarded because it is        not an initial player ace. This is called the ‘Ace Rule’ and is        a critical component to the mechanics of the game. It is        important to remember that when an ace is dealt to the player in        their initial player hand (which occurs quite often), the        initial hand value can be as low as 2 (in the case of two aces)        and surely shifts the odds heavily into the favor of the player.        By removing this option with the Ace Rule, initial player aces        are discarded and replaced with the next card/s in the deck,        resulting in a higher initial hand value, better odds for the        house and more challenging play for the player. Furthermore, the        Ace Rule creates the possibility of an exciting result if an        initial player ace is replaced with another ace! In this case,        the player gets to keep the replacement ace, more options and a        better chance at a five card hand. An easy way to remember the        Ace Rule is the phrase: “initial player ace . . . discard and        replace.”    -   IV. Initial player hand—The first two cards dealt to the player        by the dealer.    -   V. Initial hand value—The total numerical value of the first two        cards dealt to the player.    -   VI. Total hand value—This is the sum total numerical value of        all the cards dealt to the player including the initial player        hand, the backhand card and any hit cards.    -   VII. Initial player ace—Aces that are contained in the initial        player hand (the first two cards dealt to the player) prior to        the Ace Rule being satisfied    -   VIII. Player hand—Cards dealt from the deck to the player during        the game.    -   IX. Player hand value—Total numerical value of the cards dealt        from the deck to the player during the game.    -   X. Push—When a player's initial hand value is between 17 and 20,        the player has the option to exchange their hand for a new hand        from the deck or “Play the Push” by accepting a hit card from        the deck. If a player decides to ‘Push’ the hand, the dealer        shall remove the player's initial hand from the playing surface;        then deal to the player, two new cards drawn from the deck. A        new initial hand value and hand type is determined and play will        continue. After pushing the hand, if the new hand contains an        ace, the Ace Rule must be satisfied. If the resulting hand is        another push hand, the player can again elect to push that hand        or again “Play the push” by accepting a hit card from the deck.    -   XI. Bust or ‘to bust’—When a player's total hand value exceeds        twenty-one after requesting a hit card.    -   XII. Low hand—An initial player hand with an initial hand value        between 2 and 11.    -   XIII. Play hand—An initial player hand with an initial hand        value between 12 and 16.    -   XIV. Push hand—An initial player hand with an initial hand value        between 17 and 20.    -   XV. ‘Stay’ or ‘stand pat’—As defined in the classic game of        blackjack. This option is only available in Missouri City        Backhand.    -   XVI. Five card hand—This occurs after a player has successfully        hit to five cards without busting and is a winning hand. A five        card hand shall not include a backhand card. A player shall not        be dealt more than five cards (including hit cards and the        backhand card) under any circumstances.    -   XVII. Dealer hand—The three show cards dealt in the beginning of        a hand of Buffalo Bayou Backhand and Missouri City Backhand.    -   XVIII. Dealer total—The dealer total is the added numerical        values of the last card dealt to the player and the dealer show        card directly above it in a game of Buffalo Bayou Backhand and        Missouri City Backhand.    -   XIX. Dealer total advantage—When the dealer total is larger than        the player total    -   XX. Dealer ace—This is an ace that is any other ace dealt to the        player after the first two cards are dealt and the Ace Rule is        satisfied.    -   XXI. Player total—The “Player Total” is the combined numerical        values of all the cards dealt to the player up to, but not        including the last card dealt to the player.)    -   XXII. Player total advantage—When the player total is larger        than the dealer total)    -   XXIII. Player ace—Aces that are a part of the initial player        hand after the Ace Rule is satisfied. Player aces are always        valued at 1.    -   XXIV. Total hand value—This is the sum total numerical value of        all the cards dealt to the player including the initial player        hand, the backhand card and any hit cards.    -   XXV. Seat—During a game of Missouri City Backhand, the term        “seat” shall refer to one of the players. Since there are two        players, then there are only two “seats” and each seat shall be        referred to as the “red seat” and “green seat.” Of course, using        colors to distinguish between seats can be modified according to        house rules, but for the purposes of this document, “red” and        “green” will be used to differentiate between the two players        periodically.

SUMMARY OF DRAWINGS Backhand, the Card Game

FIG. 1 Initial player hand: (2,J) Initial hand value=12 Hand type: Playhand Hand options: Hit, backhand. Player chose to: Take a hit card (4)New hand value=16 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose to: Take ahit card (8) New hand value=24 Hand result: Player loses via bustedhand.

FIG. 2 Initial player hand: (8,A) Initial value: N/A Hand type: NA, handcontains initial player ace. Hand options: Initial player ace, discardand replace per Ace Rule New initial player hand: (8,3) New initialplayer hand value=11 Hand type: Low hand Hand option: Hit or backhand.Player chose to: Take a hit card (K) New hand value=21 Hand options: Hitor backhand. Player chose to: Backhand (J) New hand value=31 Handresult: Player wins via successful backhand play.

FIG. 3 Initial player hand: (Q, 5) Initial hand value=15 Hand type: Playhand Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Take a hit card (A)New hand value=16 Hand Options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Take ahit card (A) New hand value=17 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Playerchose: Take a hit card (J) New hand value=27 Hand result: Player losesvia busted hand.

FIG. 4 Initial player hand: (5, 9) Initial hand value=14 Hand type: Playhand Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Take a hit card (2)New hand value=16 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Take ahit card (4) New hand value=20 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Playerchose: Call backhand (A) New hand value=21 Hand result: Player loseshand via unsuccessful backhand play.

FIG. 5 Initial player hand: (3, 6) Initial hand value=9 Hand type: Lowhand Hand option: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Take a hit card (6) Newhand value: 15 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Take a hitcard (A) New hand value: 16 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose:Take a hit card (4) New hand value: 20 Hand result: Player wins via fivecard hand.

FIG. 6 Initial player hand: (10, A) Initial hand value: N/A Hand type:NA (contains initial player ace). Hand options: Initial player acediscard and replace per Ace Rule. (New) Initial player hand: (10, 10)(New) initial hand value=20 Hand type: Push hand. Hand options: Hit orpush. Player chose: Push (New) Initial player hand: (5,9) (New) Initialhand value=14 Hand type: Play hand. Hand options: Hit or backhand.Player chose: Take a hit card (10) New hand value=24. Hand result:Player loses hand via busted hand.

FIG. 7 Initial player hand: (9,9) Initial hand value=18 Hand type: PushHand options: Hit or push. Player chose: Take a hit card (Q) New handvalue=28 Hand result: Player loses via busted hand.

FIG. 8 Initial player hand: (8,7) Initial hand value=17 Hand type: PushHand options: Hit or push. Player chose: Take a hit card (3) New totalhand value=20 Hand result: Player wins via successful push play.

FIG. 9 Initial player hand: (10,9) Initial hand value=19 Hand type: PushHand options: Hit or push. Player chose: Take a hit card (2) New handvalue: 21 Hand result: Player wins via successful push play.

FIG. 10 Initial player hand: (7,9) Initial hand value=16 Hand type: Playhand Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Backhand (2) New totalhand value: 18 Hand result: Player loses via unsuccessful backhand.

FIG. 11 Initial player hand: (7,9) Initial hand value: 16 Hand type:Play hand Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Backhand (7) Newtotal hand value=23 Hand result: Player wins via successful backhandplay.

FIG. 12 Initial player hand: (8, 5) Initial hand value=13 Hand type:Play hand Hand options: Hit or Backhand. Player chose: Take a hit card(3) New hand value=16 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Takea hit card (A) New hand value: 17 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Playerchose: Take a hit card (A) New total hand value: 18 Hand result: Playerwins via successful 5-card hand.

FIG. 13 Initial player hand: (A, A) Initial hand value: N/A Hand type:NA Hand options: Initial player ace discard and replace per Ace Rule(New) Initial player hand: (A, A) (New) Initial hand value: 2 Hand type:Low hand Hand options: Hit or backhand Player chose: Take a hit card(10) New hand value=12 Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Hit(K) New hand value=22 Hand result: Player loses via busted hand.

FIG. 14 Initial player hand: (3, 6) Initial hand value=9 Hand type: Lowhand Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose: Take a hit card (6)New total hand value=15. Hand options: Hit or backhand. Player chose:Backhand (5) New total hand value=20 Hand result: Player loses hand viaunsuccessful backhand play.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Backhand, the Card Game

In FIG. 1, the player has been dealt (2, J) or ‘two, Jack.’ In thisexample, the initial hand value would be 12 or (2+10=12), since all facecards have a numerical value of 10, the hand type is a ‘Play hand.’ Forplay hands, the player can choose to take a hit or call Backhand. Asshown, the player has chosen to take a hit card 2 (4 of diamonds). Newhand value is now 16 (less than 21), so the player is presented with theoption to take another hit or call Backhand. This is a good time toremind the reader that the option to ‘Stay’ or ‘Stand pat’ does notexist in the game of Backhand, the card game; and since our player inthis example has a current hand value of 16, they have the options totake a hit or call Backhand. The player chooses to take another hit card3 (which is 8 of spades) is added to the hand value, creating a new handvalue which is now 24. Hand result: player busts, and loses the hand.

The reader may be wondering what similarities this invention shares withthe traditional game of blackjack? The invention was created by removingall aspects of the traditional game of blackjack and starting with threeconcepts: the player guessing if/when the next card will bust theirhand; removing the player's option to ‘stand’ or ‘stand pat;’ and endingthe game with a loss when the player guesses wrong for ‘hitting’ orcalling ‘backhand.’ What you're left with is a game whose object is todetermine when the hand will bust 21. It started as just an exercise toimprove my game strategy for the traditional blackjack game, and hasdeveloped into a completely new game that is just as fun to play; andmore to the point much better. Another difference between blackjack andthis invention is that in this game, the player has the option to ‘push’their hand away if their initial hand value is between 17 and 20. Thereis no such allowance in the traditional game of blackjack.

In FIG. 2 the initial player hand contains an ace 7 which (according tothe Ace Rule) must be discarded and replaced immediately after theinitial player hand is dealt. FIG. 2 also indicates said ace wasreplaced with the next card in the deck 11 is a 3 of diamonds leavingthe new initial hand value at 11 (8+3=11) and a hand type of Low hand.Low hands have the option of hit or backhand, but should only take a hitcard given that the hand value is too low to call Backhand and push isnot an option on low hand types. The result is the player taking a hit.The next hit card 13 shown in FIG. 2 is a king of spades (card value10), which causes the hand value to increase to 21. In this case, thehand value has not exceeded 21, and the object of the game requires theplayer to guess when the next card will bust their hand or hit to a fivecard hand. So the player is required to call backhand to complete thewin.

Play hands (hands with an initial hand value between 12 and 16) give theplayer two options: take a hit card or call backhand. One would assumethis would be an advantage to the player, but as game testing has shown,in many cases this is not always true. FIG. 3 presents the player with aplay hand of (Q,5), and an initial hand value of 15. The options to hitor call backhand are available and the player. In FIG. 3 the playerchooses to take a hit card. FIG. 3 shows the hit card 19 to be an ace ofdiamonds. This ace is not an initial player ace because it is not a partof the initial player hand, therefore it will remain in the hand. Thenew hand value is 16. The hand value is still less than 21 so the playeris given the option to take a hit card or call backhand. Confidence setsin (as one can imagine) and the player decides to take another hit card.FIG. 3 shows that the hit card 23 is another ace and the new hand value17! FIG. 3 then shows the reality of the game, that even in favorablesituations, chance and probability can foil the best of plans. Theplayer chooses to take a hit card 29 (attempting to get a five cardhand) and is disappointed with a Jack (card value 10), busting the handwith a disappointing new hand value of 27. Player loses the hand.

Another Play hand is shown in FIG. 4 where the hand presents with aninitial hand value of 14 and the option to hit or Backhand. The playerquickly calls for a hit card 31 and receives a 2 of clubs. The new handvalue is 16 and the option to hit or Backhand is presented again.Remember that as long as the ace rule is satisfied, the player's handcontains less than five cards, and the player's hand value is less than21, the player will always be presented the options to take a hit cardor call backhand, until after the fifth card is dealt; with thefollowing exceptions: a player shall never be dealt more than five cardsin a hand; the best option on low hands is to take a hit card; playersshould not call backhand on a hand value less than 12. Remember thatpush hands are also an exception to this rule because the player onlyhas to take a hit once, and on push hands, backhand is not an option.Applying this to FIG. 4, the player takes a second hit card 37, andreceives a 4 of diamonds. New hand value is 20 and the player is at thedoorstep of a sure win. The player must again choose to hit or Backhand.FIG. 4 then shows the player's decision to call Backhand . . . .

***Note: The act of calling backhand is when the player is predictingthat the next card drawn from the deck (when added to the value of theirhand) will cause the hand value to exceed 21. The player is then dealtthe next card in the deck and the numerical value of said card is addedto their current hand value. If the new hand value exceeds 21, theplayer wins the handy. But if the new hand value does not exceed 21, theplayer loses the hand.

FIG. 4 now shows the player's decision to call backhand with a currenthand value of 20. FIG. 4 then shows that the Backhand card 41 is an aceof hearts. The new hand value is 21 which does not bust the hand, andtherefore results in the player losing the hand.

Low hands are tricky. A conventional approach would lead to anassumption that most low hands would result in a five card hand, butthat would be an incorrect assumption. In many cases, a low handpresents the player with a whole new set of challenging considerations.The player quickly realizes that this game has many faces (no punintended). Let's look at FIG. 5. FIG. 5 presents with a low hand of(3,6), and an initial hand value is 9. The player's best option is totake a hit card, as with all low hands. Remember, an initial player handwith an initial hand value between 2 and 11 is a low hand. Low handtypes only have two of the three options available to the player, whichis to take a hit card or call backhand. The hit card 43 (6 of spades)creates a new hand value of 15 (as shown in FIG. 5). Now that theplayer's third card has been dealt, the option to hit or backhand ispresented to the player. The choice to take another hit is made and FIG.5 also shows that hit card 47 to be an ace of diamonds and a new handvalue of 16. In this hand, our player has four cards and a hand value of16. Sitting pretty, the player chooses to take another hit card. FIG. 5now shows a hit card 43 (which is a 4 of hearts), a new hand value of 20and a five card hand! Anyone who has played the traditional game ofblackjack can attest to how rare of an occurrence this is.

FIG. 6 presents with (10, A) which contains an initial player ace. TheAce Rule states that if a player's first two cards contain an ace of anytype, said ace (or aces) are discarded and replaced by the next card/sin the deck immediately after the initial player hand is dealt. Once theace (or aces) are replaced, a hand type is determined and options arepresented to the player based on the new hand type. If an initial playerace is replaced with another ace, the new ace shall not be discardedbecause it is not an initial player ace. In this hand, the ace isreplaced with the next card in the deck 59 which is a 10 of spades.Remember, that all initial player aces are discarded and replaced withthe next card/s in the deck. The replacement card shall be kept in thehand regardless on number, face or suit and a new initial hand value isdetermined in the regular fashion. FIG. 6 indicates the player choosesto push the hand . . . .

FIG. 6 then shows the new hand to be (5,9), initial hand value of 14 andthe hand options are to take a hit card or call backhand. The playerchoses to take a hit card 61, which is a 10 of hearts. The resultingtotal hand value is 24 and our player loses the hand.

FIG. 7 presents our player with (9,9), an initial hand value of 18 and apush hand type. As described previously, to ‘push’ a hand simply meansthat the player can choose to push their initial player hand away inreturn for a new hand from the deck. The dealer shall remove theplayer's initial hand from the playing surface; then deal to the player,two new cards drawn from the deck. A new initial hand value and handtype is determined and play will continue. In this hand, the initialhand value is at 18. A player's first instinct may be to push the handaway, but human nature many times will overpower logic and result inwhat could be considered a ‘risky’ decision. Our player's options are topush this hand away, or take one hit card. Note: Taking a hit card on apush hand type is called “Playing the Push.” If the player chooses totake a hit card instead of pushing and the hit card causes our player'shand to bust, our player loses the hand. If it does not bust, they win.Our player has chosen to take a hit card 67 instead of pushing the handaway. The hit card was Q (card value 10) and a new hand value of 28.Hand result: Player loses.

Our next player fairs a little better with their Push hand. FIG. 8presents our player with (8,9), an initial hand value of 17 and a pushhand type. Our player's options are to push the hand away for a new handfrom the deck or take a hit card. Choosing to take a chance on a hitcard 71, FIG. 8 shows the next card dealt from the deck was (3 ofspades). New hand value of 20 is less than 21 so the player wins thehand.

FIG. 9 presents with (10,9), an initial hand value of 19, and a Pushhand type. Push hand types come with the options for our player to takea hit card or push the hand away. In this case, our player chooses totake a hit card 73 which is a (2 of clubs). The new hand value is 21.Player wins the hand. Remember, if a player decides to play a Push hand(choosing to take a hit card instead of pushing the hand), said playershall be dealt another card from the deck whose value shall be added tothe current hand value. If the new hand value exceeds 21, the playerloses the hand, just like in the game of blackjack. But, If the new handvalue is 21 or less, the player wins the hand. In Backhand the cardgame, if the player decides to play a push hand by taking a hit cardrather than pushing the hand away, the player is only required to takeone hit card. If said hit card causes the player's hand to bust, theplayer loses. If it does not cause the player's hand to bust, the playerwins the hand. Our player's hit card was (2), which resulted in a newhand value of 21 and a winning hand.

FIG. 10 presents with (7,9), an initial hand value of 16, and a playhand type. The play hand type has two options: take a hit card or callbackhand and our player chooses to call backhand. Remember, the act ofcalling ‘Backhand’ is when the player is guessing that the next carddrawn from the deck (when added to the value of their hand) will causethe player's hand value to exceed 21. The player is then dealt the nextcard in the deck and the numerical value of said card is added to theircurrent hand value. If the new hand value exceeds 21, the player winsthe hand. If the new hand value does not exceed 21, the player loses.FIG. 10 shows the hand result. The next card 79 (2 of spades) is drawnfrom the deck, new hand value is 18. Because the player called‘backhand’ and the new hand value does not exceed 21, this results inthe player losing the hand.

FIG. 11 presents with (7,9), an initial hand value of 16, and a playhand type. The play hand type comes with two options for the player tochoose from: take a hit card or call backhand; and our player once againcalls backhand 83. FIG. 11 reveals the backhand card as 7 of diamonds.The new hand value is 23 which exceeds 21 and results in a winning handfor our player this time.

This game tends to bring together many familiar concepts from thetraditional game of blackjack which the player will use when confrontingthe many situations they're placed in during a game of backhand. Aplayer takes these familiar concepts and have to apply them in new anddifferent ways. Backhand provides the player with more options and morecontrol while removing the dealer as their opponent. In this invention,the deck is the only opponent to beat, and a formidable one.

In FIG. 12, the player is presented with (8,5), an initial hand value of13 and a play hand type. The options presented to the player are to takea hit card or call backhand. Our player chooses to take a hit card 89 (3of diamonds), and the new hand value is now 16 and same the two optionsare presented to our player: take a hit card or call backhand. Ourplayer chooses to take another hit card 97 which is an ace of spades.Now with four cards in their hand, a new hand value of 17 and anopportunity to win with a successful backhand call or a five card hand,our player chooses to take a hit. You'll never get tired of thissituation in backhand where a player hits to four cards with a handvalue of around 17, because there is no way to know which option willwin the hand for you. This is the very nature of backhand, where playershave to make a choice based on incomplete information. It's a riskeither way, and the choice is always the same: hit or backhand? FIG. 12now shows the third hit card 101 to be another ace! Our player now hasfive cards: (8,5,3,A,A) for a new hand value of 18 and a five card hand.

FIG. 13 is a special hand for a few reasons, in that the first two cardsdealt to the player are both aces (A,A) and their replacement cards aretwo more aces. Note: In the game of Backhand, this scenario is called“Ace Keeper.” This is obviously rare, but the Ace Rule makes it clearthat if a player's first two cards contain an ace of any type, said ace(or aces) are discarded and replaced by the next card/s in the deckimmediately after the initial player hand is dealt. Once the ace (oraces) are replaced, a hand type is determined and options are presentedto the player based on the new hand type. If an initial player ace isreplaced with another ace, the new ace shall not be discarded because itis not an initial player ace. Since the replacement cards are both aces,then the new initial hand value of the two aces would be calculated byadding their numerical values (1+1=2), which creates a low hand type andthe best hand option available to our player is to take a hit card. FIG.13 shows the hit card 103 to be a 10 of hearts. The new hand value is 12and the player is presented with the two options to take a hit card orcall backhand. Player takes another hit card, the second hit card 107was a K of spades (card value of 10), causing the hand to bust. Ourunlucky player has lost.

In our last figure (FIG. 14), a low hand is presented with (6,3). Thebest option available to our player on a low hand is to take a hit card.Our player takes a hit card 109 which is a 6 of spades. The new handvalue is 15. The two options are presented to the player of: take a hitcard or call backhand. The player chooses to call backhand and FIG. 14then shows the backhand card 113 to be a 5 of diamonds. When it'snumerical value is added to the player's current hand value, a new handvalue of 20 is created and our player has lost! Remember, the act ofcalling ‘Backhand’ is when the player is predicting that the next carddrawn from the deck (when added to the value of their hand) will causethe hand value to exceed 21. The player is then dealt the next card inthe deck and the numerical value of said card is added to their currenthand value. If the new hand value exceeds 21, the player wins the hand.If the new hand value does not exceed 21, the player loses the hand. Ourplayer's hand value prior to calling backhand was 15. The backhand cardwas (5) and when added to the player hand value of (15) results and anew total hand value of 20. The backhand card did not bust the player'shand, therefore the hand results in a loss.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Backhand, the Card Game

Backhand the card game is the first in a series of three playing cardcounting games derived from the classic game of blackjack, but is whollyunique in game objective, inventive concept, rules set, mechanics andtherefore player experience than the classic game of blackjack. In thebeginning of the game, the player is dealt two cards face up. There isno dealer hand and therefore no “hole card.” Unlike blackjack, theobject of the game is not based on how close a player can get to 21without busting or even beating the dealer (as there is no dealer tobeat). The fundamental game concept is based on the player's ability topredict if/when the next card in the deck will cause their hand toexceed a total hand value of 21 and therefore creates the opportunityfor a completely new game objective and player experience. The option torequest a backhand card is made available to the player under certaincircumstances that will be clearly defined throughout the body of thisdocument.

The game objective is as follows:

The player is dealt two cards face up and must successfully resolvetheir hand in one of three ways:

-   -   A successful backhand request (where the backhand card results        in a total hand value greater than 21), player wins the hand;    -   or successfully “Play the Push” (where the player's initial hand        value is between 17 and 20, and the hit card results in a total        hand value of 21 or less), player wins the hand;    -   or successfully hit to a 5-card hand (where the player        consecutively hits to five cards and a total hand value of 21 or        less), player wins the hand.    -   The hand can also have unsuccessful outcomes as listed below:    -   An unsuccessful backhand request (where the backhand card        results in a total hand value of 21 or less) then the player        loses the hand;    -   or an unsuccessful “Play the Push” attempt (where the initial        player hand value is between 17 and 20, and the hit card results        in a total hand value greater than 21) then the player loses the        hand;    -   or any hit card causing the player's total hand value to exceed        21, then the player loses the hand.

Let's Review some similarities “Backhand, the card game” has to the gameof Blackjack:

-   -   As in classic blackjack, Backhand the card game is played with a        single deck of standard playing cards with the jokers removed,        although multiple decks can be used when dealing to more than        three players at a time.    -   No custom cards or additional game pieces are required to play.    -   “Hitting” and “busting” are used the same way in backhand as        they are in the traditional game of blackjack.    -   Use a standard deck of playing cards with the jokers removed,        resulting in 52 cards.    -   As in the classic game of blackjack, suits do not matter in        Backhand, the card game.    -   Numbered cards 2 to 9 are valued according to their pip value,        tens and face cards count as 10 points.

Now let's review some differences between blackjack and “Backhand, thecard game;”

-   -   All the cards are dealt face up There is no “hole card” in this        invention.    -   There is no “loitering,” which means that there is no option for        the player to “stay” or “hold” or “stand pat.” The player must        play the hand all the way through until it is completely        resolved.    -   Also unlike in blackjack, there is no splitting, doubling or        insurance options.    -   In Backhand the card game, there is no dealer hand for the        player to compete against. The player must compete against the        deck.    -   All aces in Backhand the card game, are valued at 1, therefore        there is no “soft 17.”    -   “Push” Is defined as when a player decides to push their hand        away in exchange for a new hand. This option is available when        the player's initial hand value is between 17 and 20.    -   The “Ace Rule” If a player's initial player hand contains and        ace, that ace must be discarded and replaced with the next card        in the deck. If the player's initial player hand contains two        aces, both of them must be discarded and replaced. The player        must keep the next cards in the deck no matter the value or        suit.

Additional Rules—Requesting a Backhand Card or “Calling Backhand”:

-   -   When a player requests a backhand card, they are predicting that        the next card in the deck is going to cause their total hand        value to exceed 21. Once the player requests a backhand card,        the player is dealt the next card in the deck. If said card        causes their hand to bust, the player wins the hand. If it        doesn't, the player loses the hand.    -   The backhand option is not available prior to the Ace Rule being        satisfied.    -   After the Ace Rule is satisfied, if a hit card causes the        player's total hand value to equal 21, but the player's hand        contains fewer than 5 cards, the player must still choose to        either request a hit card or a backhand card in order to        completely resolve the hand.    -   After the Ace Rule is satisfied, the backhand option immediately        becomes available to the player as long as their initial hand        value is less than 17 (although calling backhand should be        avoided when the player's total hand value is less than 12). The        backhand option shall remain available to the player throughout        the remainder of the hand. The backhand option is not available        on hands with an initial hand value greater than 16.    -   A backhand card can only be requested by the player and can only        be requested once per hand.    -   The player shall never be dealt more than five cards in a hand        (including hit cards and the backhand card) under any        circumstances.

Additional Rules—Pushing:

-   -   To “push” a hand simply means that the player can choose to push        their initial player hand away in exchange for a new hand from        the deck. After the first hand is replaced, a new initial hand        value and hand type is determined and play will continue. The        option to push is only available to the player when their        initial hand value is between 17 and 20. Furthermore, a player        cannot request to push with an initial hand value of less than        17 or greater than 20. Nor can a player request to push their        hand after being dealt their third card.    -   After a player pushes their hand, if the new hand contains an        ace, the Ace Rule must be satisfied. After the Ace Rule is        satisfied and the resulting hand is another push hand, the        player can again elect to push that hand or “Play the Push” by        requesting a hit card.    -   As long as the player's initial hand value is between 17 and 20,        the options to push the hand or “play the push” will always        remain available to the player, no matter how many push hands        are dealt to them consecutively.    -   “Playing the Push”—When a player's initial hand value is between        17 and 20, the player's hand type is called a Push Hand. The        player has the option to push the hand away in exchange for a        new hand or accept one hit card. If the player chooses to take        the hit card, this is called “playing the push.” The player is        only required to take one hit card. If that hit card doesn't        bust the player's hand, the player wins the push hand. If the        hit card does bust the player's hand, they have lost the push        hand. After “playing the push” a player cannot then request to        push their hand, nor is the backhand option available.

Additional Rules—Hitting:

-   -   Hitting in Backhand is the same as it is in the traditional game        of blackjack.    -   After the Ace Rule is satisfied, the player can request up to        three hit cards in a hand. A hit card cannot be requested after        a backhand card has been dealt.    -   The 5-card hand—If a player consecutively hits to a 5-card hand        without exceeding a total hand value of 21, the player wins the        hand. A 5-card hand cannot include a backhand card.

Method and Sequence of Play:

-   -   Deal two cards to the player face up. This is called the        “initial player hand;”    -   Satisfy the “Ace Rule”—Remove any aces from the initial player        hand and replace them with the next card(s) in the deck. Next        card(s) must be kept (regardless of number/suit). This will be        your new initial player hand. If there is no initial player ace,        the player can skip this step.    -   Calculate initial hand value and determine hand type: low hand        (initial hand value between 2 and 11); play hand (initial hand        value between 12 and 16); push hand (initial hand value between        17 and 20).

Player Hand Options—Player Chooses Options Based on Hand Type.

Hand Type and Hand Options:

Low hand—Take a hit card or request a backhand card (backhand option isavailable, although discouraged);

-   -   Play hand—Take a hit card or request a backhand card;    -   Push hand—Take a hit card or push hand away in exchange for a        new hand.

Player completely resolves the hand using the rules and options asdescribed above.

SUMMARY OF DRAWINGS Buffalo Bayou Backhand

FIG. 15 Initial player hand: (6, 2) Initial hand value=8 Dealer Hand:(K,9,2) Hand type: low hand. Hand option: hit or backhand.

FIG. 16 Initial player hand: (6,2) Initial hand value=8 Dealer Hand:(8,9,2) Hand type: low hand. Hand options: hit or backhand.

FIG. 17 Player chose: Take a hit card (K). New total hand value: 18Player total=8. Dealer total=18; Advantage: Dealer. Hand options: hit orbackhand.

FIG. 18 Player chose: Backhand (Q). New total hand value=28 Playertotal=18. Dealer total=19; advantage: dealer. Hand result: player loseshand (successful backhand+dealer total advantage over player total).

FIG. 19 Initial player hand: (6,2) Initial hand value=8 Dealer Hand:(8,9,2) Hand type: low hand. Hand options: hit or backhand. Playerchose: Take a hit card (4). New total hand value=12. Player total=8.Dealer total=12; advantage: dealer. Hand options: hit or backhand.

FIG. 20 Player chose: Take a hit card (8) New total hand value=20 Playertotal=12. Dealer total=17; advantage: dealer. Hand options: hit orbackhand.

FIG. 21 Player chose: Backhand (7) New total hand value=27 Playertotal=20 Dealer total=9; advantage: player. Hand result: player wins(successful backhand+player total over dealer total).

FIG. 22 Initial player hand: (A,8) Initial hand value: N/A Hand type:NA, hand contains initial player ace. Hand options: discard and replaceinitial player ace, per “Ace Rule.” Dealer hand: (Q,Q,7).

FIG. 23 (New) Initial player hand: (K,8). (New) Initial hand value=18.Hand type: Push hand. Hand options: Hit or push.

FIG. 24 Player chose: Take a hit (A) New total hand value=19. Playertotal=18. Dealer total=21; advantage: dealer. Hand result: player loses(dealer total advantage over player total).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Buffalo Bayou Backhand

In FIGS. 15 and 16, the dealer's show cards are (8,9,2) and are dealtfrom right to left first 127. The initial player hand is then alwaysdealt after the dealer hand 131. There are no dealer aces on the boardyet. In FIG. 16 the initial player hand 1 a is positioned on the bottomrow, just to the bottom left corner of the dealer hand 1 b. This initialplayer hand 1 a does not include any initial player aces. The initialplayer hand contains (6,2) so the initial hand value is 8 and the handtype is a low hand. Just as in backhand, the best hand option availableto the player is to take a hit card. Once the hit card is dealt, thetotal hand value, dealer total and player totals are calculated todetermine advantage in the hand or if the player's hand has busted.

In FIG. 17, the hit card 137 is a king of clubs (numerical value=10),total hand value of 18. The hand options are to take a hit card or callbackhand.

In FIG. 18, the player chose to call backhand. The backhand card 139 isa queen of spades (numerical value=10) and a new total hand value 1 e of28. This is a successful backhand play, but in this invention, thewinner is determined by who has the advantage in the hand by comparingthe dealer total 1 d and player total 1 c, after the backhand card 139is called. Since the dealer total of 19 is higher than the player totalof 18, the dealer has the advantage and the hand results in a loss forthe player.

In FIG. 19, the initial hand value 1 g is 8, the dealer hand 1 fcontains (8,9,2) and there are no initial player aces. The onlyreasonable hand option available to the player is to take a hit card.The hit card 149 is a 4 of hearts so the total hand value 1 h is 12, thedealer total 1 k is 12, the player total 1 g is 8 and the hand optionsavailable to the player is to take a hit card or call backhand. Rightnow the player must determine whether their current player total wouldbeat the dealer total if they were to call backhand. A successfulbackhand in this case would be a backhand card with a numerical value ofat least 10. But the resulting dealer total would be 19 which would givethe dealer the advantage and result in a loss for our player; therefore,it wouldn't make sense for our player to call backhand at this point.

FIG. 20 shows that our player chose to take another hit card 151. Thehit card is 8 of hearts, the new total hand value 1 n is 20, the newdealer total 1 z is 17, the new player total 1 m is 12 and the dealercurrently has the advantage. As usual the hand options for our player isto take a hit card or call backhand. And as you can see, the last showcard in the dealer hand 1 f is a 2, so if our player decides to callbackhand (and the backhand call is successful), the resulting playertotal would be 20 and a sure win for our player!

FIG. 21 shows a winning hand for our player with the backhand card 157of 7 of spades. The resulting player total 1 o is 20 and dealer total 1p is 9. This hand was won via a successful backhand play+player totaladvantage over the dealer total.

FIG. 22 shows a dealer hand 1 s of (Q,Q,7) and an initial player hand 1t of (A,8). Per the Ace Rule, the ace of clubs (163) will be discardedand replaced prior to moving forward in the hand. FIG. 23 shows the newinitial player hand 1 u to be (K,8) initial hand value 18, and a pushhand type. Hand options for the player are to take a hit card or pushthe hand away in exchange for a new hand.

In FIG. 24, the player chooses to take a hit card 1 v. The hit card isan ace of clubs. This ace is a ‘dealer ace’ so it's value depends onwhat it is being used to calculate. When calculating the dealer total 1x, said ace will be valued at 1 or 11 to the advantage of the dealer.When calculating the player's total hand value 1 v, it is valued at 1.Immediately, you see that the advantage has swung in the favor of thedealer. The dealer total 1 x is 21 and the player total 1 w is 18.Remember, in this invention, if a player decides to play a push hand bytaking a hit card the player shall take only one hit card. As long asthe hit card does not cause the player's total hand value to exceed 21and the player total is greater than the dealer total, the player willwin the hand. But If the resulting dealer total is greater than theplayer total, the dealer wins the push hand.

So in this hand, our player has a successful backhand, but the playertotal 1 w is lower than the resulting dealer total 1 x, therefore, ourplayer has lost the hand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Buffalo Bayou Backhand

Buffalo Bayou Backhand is the second in a series of three playing cardcounting games derived from the classic game of blackjack, but whollyunique in objective, rules set and mechanics to the classic game. Inthis game, the dealer hand is introduced as three show cards dealt faceup on the playing surface prior to the initial player hand (dealt fromright to left). The initial player hand is also dealt face up, on therow above the dealer hand, to the top left corner of the dealer's firstshow card towards the player. When playing alone, the initial playerhand is dealt face up, on the row below the dealer hand, to the bottomleft corner of the dealer's first show card. You will quickly noticethat throughout this entire series (in all of the games), the dealer iseither not present or serves as a “silent participant.” This is to saythat all of the decisions in this invention are made by the player onlyand the dealer simply distributes the cards at the player's request.This is completely counter to the classic game of blackjack and anyknown variant.

Game Objective—As in Backhand the card game, the objective is still forthe player to successfully resolve their hand, but to do so with “playertotal” advantage over the “dealer total.”

In both Buffalo Bayou Backhand and Missouri City Backhand the “DealerTotal” is the added numerical values of the last card dealt to theplayer and the dealer show card directly above it. The “Player Total” isthe combined numerical values of all the cards dealt to the player upto, but not including the last card dealt to the player. The “DealerTotal Advantage” is when the dealer total is greater than the playertotal. “Player Total Advantage is when the player total is greater thanthe dealer total. The player's “total hand value” is the sum totalnumerical value of all the cards dealt to the player including theinitial player hand, the backhand card and any hit cards.

After the dealer hand and initial player hand is dealt, successful handresolutions are as follows:

-   -   Player's successful backhand request (where the backhand card        results in a total hand value greater than 21)+player total        advantage over the dealer total (player wins the hand).    -   Successful 5-card hand (where the player consecutively hits to        five cards with a total hand value of 21 or less), player wins        the hand.    -   Successful “Play the Push” attempt (where the hit card results        in a player total hand value of 21 or less)+player total        advantage over the dealer total, player wins the hand.

The hand can also have unsuccessful outcomes as listed below:

-   -   Unsuccessful backhand request (where the backhand card results        in a player total hand value of 21 or less), player loses the        hand.    -   Player's successful backhand request (where the backhand card        results in a total hand value greater than 21)+dealer total        advantage over the player total (dealer wins the hand).    -   Unsuccessful hit (where the hit card causes the player's hand to        exceed 21), player loses the hand.    -   Successful “Play the Push” attempt (where the hit card results        in a player total hand value of 21 or less)+dealer total        advantage over the player total, dealer wins the hand.    -   Unsuccessful “Play the Push” attempt (where the hit card results        in a player total hand value greater than 21), player loses the        hand.    -   Any scenario where the player achieved a successful backhand or        push hand and both the player total and dealer total are equal.        These scenarios would result in a stalemate (no winner).

Let's Review the similarities “Buffalo Bayou Backhand” has to classicblackjack:

-   -   As in classic blackjack, Buffalo Bayou Backhand is played with a        single deck of standard playing cards with the jokers removed.    -   No custom cards or additional game pieces are required to play.    -   “Hitting” and “busting” are used the same way in backhand as        they are in the traditional game of blackjack.    -   As in the classic game of blackjack, suits do not matter in        Buffalo Bayou Backhand.    -   Face cards are valued at 10 and numbered cards valued according        to their pip value.

Now let's review some differences between blackjack and Buffalo BayouBackhand:

-   -   All the cards in Buffalo Bayou Backhand are dealt face up. There        is no “hole card” in this invention.    -   When playing with multiple players, Buffalo Bayou Backhand is        intended to be played in a 1:1:1 ratio (i.e. 1 deck: 1 player        hand: 1 dealer hand). When dealing with multiple players, this        ratio is to be adhered to in order to avoid running out of cards        during the game.    -   There is no “loitering” in this game, which means that there is        no option for the player to “stay,” “hold” or “stand pat.” The        player must completely resolve their hand. Although, there is a        possibility where the dealer total and player totals are equal,        which would result in a stalemate (no winner). A stalemate in        blackjack is called a “push,” but this term has a different        meaning in The Backhand Series.    -   Also unlike in blackjack, there is no splitting, doubling or        insurance options.    -   The dealer hand is dealt face up and contains three show cards        dealt from right to left prior to the initial player hand being        dealt.    -   The term “push”—is defined as when the player decides to push        their initial player hand away in exchange for a new hand. This        option is available to the player when their initial hand value        is between 17 and 20.    -   Aces contained in the initial player hand are valued at 1.    -   Aces contained in the dealer hand (the three dealer show cards        dealt prior to the initial player hand) are valued at 1 or 11 to        the advantage of the dealer. Said aces are called “Dealer Aces.”    -   Aces dealt to the player after the Ace Rule has been satisfied        and are not a part of the initial player hand are valued at 1        when calculating the player's total hand value. Said aces are        also “Dealer Aces.” When calculating the dealer total, said aces        are valued at 1 or 11, to the advantage of the dealer.

Rules:

-   -   All existing rules for Backhand, the card game will be observed        in Buffalo Bayou Backhand, except where rule modifications are        expressly noted in the body of this document.    -   The dealer is dealt three show cards face up, from right to left        first. These show cards make up the dealer hand and are never        replaced, moved, picked up or substituted under any        circumstances during the hand. The dealer hand is dealt in the        beginning of the hand and remain in place until the hand is        over. When playing alone, the player hand is then dealt on the        row below the dealer hand, from right to left, face up and        positioned adjacent to the bottom left hand corner of the first        dealer hand show card (starting from the left, as shown in        Diagram 1). Prior to the player receiving their third card, the        Ace Rule must be satisfied, the initial hand value is        calculated, then the hand type and hand options are determined.    -   Player Total—This is the added numerical values of all the cards        dealt to the player, except for the last card dealt to the        player. Discarded initial player aces are not counted. The        backhand card is never included in the player total.    -   Dealer Total—The dealer total is the added numerical values of        the last card dealt to the player, and the dealer show card        directly above it. The dealer total is compared to the player        total throughout the hand to determine who has the advantage in        the hand.    -   In Buffalo Bayou Backhand, aces are valued according to what        they are being used to calculate. Initial player aces are aces        that are contained in the initial player hand (the first two        cards dealt to the player) prior to the Ace Rule being        satisfied. These are valued at 1. Player aces are aces that are        a part of the initial player hand after the Ace Rule is        satisfied. These are also valued at 1. Dealer aces are aces that        are a part of the dealer hand (one of the three dealer show        cards dealt in the beginning of the game) or dealt to the player        after the Ace Rule is satisfied, and not a part of the initial        player hand.    -   Dealer aces (including backhand cards and hit cards) are valued        at 1 when calculating the player total hand value, and at 1 or        11 (to the dealer's advantage) when calculating the dealer        total.    -   Once the backhand card is dealt, if the player's backhand        request is successful, then the player total and dealer totals        are counted. The player wins if the player total is greater than        the dealer total. The player will lose if the player total is        less than the dealer total. If both the player and dealer totals        are of equal value after the backhand card is played, the hand        will result in a stalemate (no winner) and the hand is over.        Remember that once the Ace Rule is satisfied, the option to call        backhand is available throughout the hand (as long as the        player's initial hand value was less than 17), the player's hand        contains less than 5 cards and the player's total hand value is        21 or less. Also, backhand can only be requested by the player        once.    -   In Buffalo Bayou Backhand, every time a card is dealt to the        player (either a hit card or a backhand card) the player total        and dealer totals are compared to determine the advantage in the        hand. Backhand rules still apply to hit cards, if the hit card        causes the player hand to exceed 21, the player loses the hand.        If it doesn't, the player is again presented the options to        either take another hit card or call backhand. In the case of a        five card hand, the player would win according to existing        backhand rules.    -   In the case of a push hand, the hand is played in the usual        manner. If the player decides to “Play the Push” and has done so        successfully, the hit card is used to calculate both the player        total and the dealer total. The player will win if the player        total is greater than the dealer total. The player loses if the        player total is less than the dealer total. If the both the        player total and dealer totals are equal, the game results to a        stalemate. If the player decides to instead “push the hand        away,” existing backhand rules apply and the player is dealt a        new hand.

Method and Sequence of Play:

-   -   Deal three show cards face up, from right to left first. When        playing alone, the player hand is then dealt on the row below        the dealer hand, from right to left, face up and positioned        adjacent to the bottom left hand corner of the first dealer hand        show card (starting from the left, as shown in FIG. 15).    -   Resolve the “Ace Rule”,    -   Calculate the initial hand value, then DETERMINE hand type and        hand options.    -   Payer completely resolves the hand (using the rules and options        as described above) and where the winner is determined by        comparing the player total and dealer total. A player will win        any hand which results in player total advantage over the dealer        total.

SUMMARY OF DRAWINGS Missouri City Backhand

FIG. 25 Red Seat Initial player hand: (9,10) Initial hand value=19.Dealer Hand: (10,6,6). Hand type: Push hand. Hand options: Hit or push.Green Seat Initial player hand: (9,A). Initial hand value: N/A Handtype: NA, hand contains initial player ace. Hand options: discard andreplace initial player ace, per Ace Rule. Dealer Hand: (10,6,6).

FIG. 26 Red Seat Player chose: Push. (New) Initial hand value=17. Handtype: Push hand. Hand options: Hit or push. (New) Initial player hand:(9,9). (New) initial hand value=18. Hand type: Push hand. Hand options:Hit or push.

FIG. 27 Red Seat Player chose: Push. (New) Initial player hand: (6,8).(New) Initial hand value=14. Hand type: Play hand. Hand options: hit orbackhand. Green Seat Player chose: Push. (New) Initial player hand:(6,8). (New) Initial hand value=14. Hand type: play hand. Hand options:hit or backhand.

FIG. 28 Green Seat Player chose: Hit (3). New total hand value=17 Playertotal=14. Dealer total=13. Advantage: player. Hand options: Hit,backhand or stand pat.

FIG. 29 Red Seat Player chose: Backhand (10). New total hand value=24.Red Seat Player total=14. Dealer total: 20. Advantage: dealer. Handresult: red seat player loses hand (Unsuccessful backhand).

FIG. 30 Green Seat Player chose: Backhand (10). New total hand value=27Player total=17. Dealer total=16. Advantage: player. Hand result: GREENSEAT player wins the hand (successful backhand+player total over dealertotal). Game result: Green seat wins.

FIG. 31 Red Seat Initial player hand: (7,2). Initial hand value=9. Handtype: Low hand. Hand options: hit or backhand. Green Seat Initial playerhand: (K,10). Initial hand value=20. Hand type: Push. Hand options: pushor hit.

FIG. 32 Red Seat Player chose: take a hit card (3). New total handvalue=12. Player total: 9. Dealer total: 13. Advantage: dealer. Handoptions: hit or backhand.

FIG. 33 Green Seat Player chose: Push. (New) Initial player hand: (4,2).(New) Initial hand value=6. Hand type: Low. Hand options: Hit orbackhand.

FIG. 34 Red Seat Player chose: Take a hit card (8). New total handvalue=20. Player total=12. Dealer total=15. Advantage: dealer. Handoptions: Hit or backhand.

FIG. 35 Green Seat Player chose: Hit (Q). New total hand value=16.Player total=6. Dealer total=20. Advantage: dealer. Hand options: Hit orbackhand.

FIG. 36 Red Seat Player chose: Backhand (J). New total hand value=30.Player total=20. Dealer total=20. Advantage: None. Hand result:Stalemate

FIG. 37 Green Seat Player chose: Backhand (3). New total hand value=19.Hand result: Player loses hand (unsuccessful backhand). Game result:Stalemate (no winner).

FIG. 38 Green Seat Initial player hand: (6,K). Initial hand value=16Hand type: Play hand. Hand options: hit or backhand. Red Seat Initialplayer hand: (5,10). Initial hand value=15. Hand type: play hand. Handoptions: hit or backhand.

FIG. 39 Red Seat Player chose: Backhand (J). New total hand value=26Player total=16. Dealer total=12. Advantage: player. Hand result: playerwins the hand (successful backhand+player total advantage over dealertotal).

FIG. 40 Green Seat Player chose: Backhand (8). New total hand value=23Player total=15. Dealer total=10. Advantage: player. Hand result: playerwins the hand (successful backhand+player total advantage over dealertotal). Game result: red seat player total less than green seat playertotal, red seat player wins.

FIG. 41 Red Seat Initial player hand: (7,5). Initial hand value=12. Handtype: Play hand. Hand options: hit or backhand. Green Seat Initialplayer hand: (10,2). Initial hand value=12. Hand type: Play hand. Handoptions: hit or backhand.

FIG. 42 Red Seat player chose: Hit (4). New total hand value=16 Playertotal=12. Dealer total=9. Advantage: player. Hand options: hit, backhandor stand pat.

FIG. 43 Green Seat player chose: Take a hit card (4). New total handvalue=16. Player total=12. Dealer total=9. Advantage: player. Handoptions: hit, backhand or stand pat.

FIG. 44 Red Seat player chose: Backhand (8). New total hand value=24.Player total=16. Dealer total=14. Advantage: player. Hand result: RedSeat player wins the hand (successful backhand+player total advantageover dealer total).

FIG. 45 Green Seat player chose: Backhand (9). New total hand value=25.Player total=16. Dealer total=15. Advantage: Player. Hand result: greenseat player wins the hand (successful backhand+player total advantageover dealer total). Game result: green seat and red seat player totalsare equal, therefore lowest total hand value wins. Red Seat total handvalue less than red seat total hand value, red seat player wins.

FIG. 46 Red Seat Initial player hand: (8,8). Initial hand value: 16.Hand type: play hand. Hand options: hit or backhand. Green Seat Initialplayer hand: (9, 5). Initial hand value=14. Hand type: play hand. Handoptions: hit or backhand.

FIG. 47 Red Seat player chose: Backhand (7). New total hand value=23.Player total=16. Dealer total=9. Advantage: player. Hand result: redseat player wins the hand (successful backhand+player total advantageover dealer total).

FIG. 48 Green Seat player chose: Take a hit card (A). New total handvalue=15. Player total=14. Dealer total=13. Advantage: player. Handoptions: hit, backhand or stand pat. Green Seat player chose: stand pat.Game result: green seat player wins the game with lower total hand valueamount (when compared to Red Seat player total).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Missouri City Backhand

In FIG. 25, the dealer hand 2 a is (10,6,6). As stated, the dealer handremains in place and is not added to or moved in any way. It is dealtfrom right-to-left with the last card dealt 174 being the first dealershow card. The dealer does not take a hit, stand pat, bust or make anydecisions in this invention. The red seat initial player hand 2 c isdealt from right-to-left and adjacent to the bottom left corner of thedealers first show card 174. The red seat initial player and is (9,10)and a push hand. The green seat initial player hand 2 b is dealt fromleft-to-right and adjacent to the top left corner of the dealers firstshow card 174. The green seat initial player hand contains an initialplayer ace 173 and therefore the Ace Rule must be satisfied before thegame can begin. If both players' initial player hands contain an initialplayer ace, the Ace Rule shall be satisfied in the order that the handsare dealt.

In FIG. 26, the green seat's initial player ace was replaced with a 9 ofclubs 179 and now the game can begin. The green seat initial player handis now (9,9), with an initial hand value of 18 and a push hand type, sonow both seats have push hands. In FIG. 27, you see that both playershave decided to push their hands away in return for a new hand. Bothseats now have new initial player hands 2 s, 2 q of (6,8) with aninitial hand value of 14 and a play hand type. Hand options for bothplayers are to take a hit card or call backhand. In FIG. 28, the greenseat takes a hit card 181 (3 of diamonds) which creates a dealer total 2h of 13, a player total 2 m of 14, a total hand value 2 k of 17 andplayer total advantage over the dealer total. This hand is not resolvedand the green seat player has the option to hit, backhand or stand pat.The stand pat option is available because the green seat has asuccessful hit card play with player total advantage. In FIG. 29, we seethat the red seat player called backhand. The backhand card 183 is (10)which creates a dealer total 2 p of 20, a player total 2 n of 14, atotal hand value of 24 and dealer total advantage over the player total.The red seat has lost their hand. In FIG. 30, the green seat now has toresolve their hand with one of two options: hit or backhand. They choseto call backhand. The backhand card 191 is (10) which creates a dealertotal 2 t of 16, a player total 2 s of 17, a total hand value 2 r of 27and player total advantage over the dealer total. The green seat winstheir hand and the game!

In FIG. 31, the dealer hand 3 b is (K,7,10) which is actually adifficult hand to play against. The red seat initial player hand 3 c is(7,2) and a low hand. Hand options are hit or backhand (although callingbackhand is discouraged because there is no successful backhand card ona low hand). The green seat initial player hand 3 a is (K,10) and a pushhand. On a push hand, the hand options are push or take a hit card. InFIG. 32, the red seat goes first and takes a hit card 193 (3 of clubs)which creates a dealer total 3 f of 13, a player total 3 d of 9, a totalhand value 3 e of 12 and dealer total advantage. The next play goes tothe green seat. In FIG. 33, the green seat pushes the hand in exchangefor (4,2). The new initial hand value 3 g is 6, a low hand type and handoptions of hit or backhand. In FIG. 34, the red seat chooses to takeanother hit 197 card (8 of hearts) which creates a dealer total 3 m of15, a player total 3 h of 12, a total hand value 3 k of 20 and dealertotal advantage. In FIG. 35, the green seat takes a hit card 199 (Q,numerical value=10) which creates a dealer total 3 n of 20, a playertotal 3 p of 6, a total hand value 3 o of 16 and dealer total advantage.At this point, neither players have the option to stand pat becauseneither of them have player total advantage over the dealer total aftertaking their hit cards. Both players' options are to hit or callbackhand. In FIG. 36, the red seat calls backhand 211 (J, numericalvalue=10) which creates a dealer total 3 r of 20, a player total 3 s of20, a total hand value 3 t of 30 and a stalemate for the red seat. InFIG. 37, the green seat calls backhand 223 (3 of hearts) which creates adealer total 3 v of 10, a player total 3 w of 16 but a total hand value3 u of 19, which results in an unsuccessful backhand play. This gameends in no winner.

In FIG. 38, the dealer hand is 4 a (2,6,10), the red seat initial playerhand 4 c is (5,10) and the green seat initial player hand 4 b is (6,K).The red seat initial hand value is 15 and a play hand type so the handoptions are hit or backhand. The green seat initial hand value is 16which is a play hand type also and the same hand options. In FIG. 39,the green seat calls backhand 227 and receives a (J, numerical value=10)which creates a dealer total 4 f of 12, a player total 4 d of 16, atotal hand value 4 e of 26 and player total advantage over the dealertotal. The green seat wins their hand with a successful backhand playwith player total advantage over the dealer total. In FIG. 40, the redseat requests a backhand card 229 (8 of spades) which creates a dealertotal 4 g of 10, a player total 4 k of 15, a total hand value 4 h of 23and player total advantage over the dealer total. Now both players havewon their respective hands, the winner is determined by using the lowestplayer total. Since the red seat player total is lower than the greenseat's, the red seat has won the hand.

In FIG. 41, the dealer hand 5 a is (5,6,10), red seat initial playerhand 5 c of (7,5) and a green seat initial player hand 5 b of (10,2).Neither players had and initial player ace, therefore the Ace Rule issatisfied and the game can start. In FIG. 42, the red seat has a playhand of 12 and chose to take a hit card 233 which was a (4 of spades).This created a dealer total 5 e of 9, a player total 5 d of 12, a totalhand value 5 f of 16 and player total advantage over the dealer total.Hand options are hit, backhand or stand pat. In FIG. 43, the green seatplayer's initial player hand value 5 h is 12 and a play hand as well.They chose to take a hit card 239 which was a four also. With the samedealer and player total as the red seat (5 g and 5 e), the next playbelongs to the red seat. In FIG. 44, our red seat player chose to take abackhand card 241 which turns out to be an (8 of spades). This createsdealer total 5 m of 14, a player total 5 o of 16 a total hand value 5 nof 24 and a successful backhand play with player total advantage overthe dealer total. In FIG. 45, the green seat decides to call backhand aswell. The backhand card 251 is a 9 of hearts, creating a dealer total 5p of 15, a player total 5 s of 16 and a total hand value 5 r for thegreen seat of 25. This is a successful backhand play with player totaladvantage over the dealer total. So both seats have won their hands andin the same manner. Game winner is usually the player with the lowestplayer total, but since both player totals are equal, the next option isto use the lowest total hand value. Since the red seat's total handvalue 24 is lower than the green seat's total hand value of 25, the redseat has won this game.

In FIG. 46 the dealer hand 6 a is (2,K,6). The green seat initial playerhand 6 b is (9,5) and the red seat initial player hand 6 c is (8,8). Thegreen seat has an initial hand value of 14 and a play hand so theirhands options are to take a hit card or call backhand. The red seat hasan initial hand value of 16 and a play hand so it has the same optionsas their opponent. In this hand, the green seat was dealt their initialplayer hand first, therefore they will concede the first play to the redseat. FIG. 47 shows that the red seat call backhand. The backhand card257 is a 7 of hearts which creates a total hand value 6 d of 23, aplayer total 6 e of 16, a dealer total 6 f of 9 and player totaladvantage over the dealer total. So the red seat has won their hand.FIG. 48 shows that the green seat has chosen to take a hit card 263 (aceof diamonds) which creates a total hand value 6 g of 15, a player total6 h of 14, a dealer total 6 k of 13 (11+2=13) and player total advantageover the dealer total. The green seat now has the option to take a hitcard, call backhand or stand pat. Remember, that this is now an optiongiven that the player has taken a hit card (without) busting, has playertotal advantage over the dealer total and their opponent has not losttheir hand. Seeing the advantage, the green seat chooses to stand pat.To determine the winner, we compare the green seat's total hand value tothe red seat's player total, the smaller of which wins the game. Withthe green seat's total hand value of 15 being smaller than the redseat's total hand value of 16, the green seat has won the match.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Missouri City Backhand

Missouri City Backhand is the third in a series of three playing cardcounting games derived from the classic game of blackjack, but whollyunique in objective, rules set and mechanics to the classic game.Missouri City Backhand has been a defining moment for me personally, haschallenged me intellectually while at the same time continuing to revealherself to me even now as I finally put the finishing touches on thisdocument. Earlier I described her as the “crown jewel” of The BackhandSeries, but to many I'm sure she will be beyond the reach of your casualcard player due to the complexity of her rules. But for those who wishto take on the challenge of learning this beautiful game, you will notbe disappointed.

In Missouri City Backhand, we now introduce the second player to thegame as the opponent to the first player. Both players will use the samedealer hand and deck to play each of their hands. Also, the first dealershow card will still be used to align both initial player hands at thetop and bottom left hand corners of the dealer's first show card.Additional rules have been added to determine the sequence of play inthe case of initial player aces and push hands.

In the first two games of The Backhand Series, the “No Loitering” ruleremoved from the player the option to stand pat, effectively forcingthem to completely resolve their hand. This stand pat option is nowreintroduced in Missouri City Backhand and can be taken advantage of byeither player as long as they have player total advantage over thedealer total after requesting a hit card. By removing the “No Loitering”rule, you add an additional strategy tool for both players and anotherlevel of complexity to the game.

Additionally, there are a few new terms that are used when discussingMissouri City Backhand due to the fact that there are now two players.First, the term “seat” will be addressed. When used in this invention,the term “seat” shall refer to one of the players. Since there are twoplayers, then there are two seats, referred to as the “red seat” and“green seat.” Of course, using colors to distinguish between seats canbe modified at the discretion of the house, but for the purposes of thisdocument, “red” and “green” will be used to differentiate between thetwo players periodically.

Game Objective—As in Buffalo Bayou Backhand, the player must stillsuccessfully resolve their hand with “player total” advantage over the“dealer total.” Once this is achieved, the players will now compare themethod in which they arrived at their individual outcomes to determinewho wins the game by using the lowest player total or total hand value.

In both Buffalo Bayou Backhand and Missouri City Backhand the “DealerTotal” is still the combined numerical values of the last card dealt tothe player and the dealer show card directly above it. The “PlayerTotal” is the combined numerical values of all the cards dealt to theplayer up to, but not including the last card dealt to the player. The“Dealer Total Advantage” is when the dealer total is greater than theplayer total. “Player Total Advantage is when the player total isgreater than the dealer total. The player's “total hand value” is thecombined numerical values of all the cards dealt to the player includingthe initial player hand, the backhand card and any hit cards.

After the dealer hand and initial player hand is dealt, successful handresolutions are as follows:

-   -   Player's successful backhand request (where the backhand card        results in a total hand value greater than 21)+player total        advantage over the dealer total (player wins their hand).    -   Successful 5-card hand (where the player consecutively hits to        five cards with a total hand value of 21 or less), player wins        their hand.    -   Successful “Play the Push” attempt (where the hit card results        in a player total hand value of 21 or less)+player total        advantage over the dealer total, player wins their hand.    -   Player “stands pat”+player total advantage over the dealer        total, player wins their hand.

The hand can also have unsuccessful outcomes as listed below:

-   -   Unsuccessful backhand request (where the backhand card results        in a player total hand value of 21 or less), player loses the        hand.    -   Player's successful backhand request (where the backhand card        results in a total hand value greater than 21)+dealer total        advantage over the player total (dealer wins the hand).    -   Unsuccessful hit (where the hit card causes the player's hand to        exceed 21), player loses the hand.    -   Successful “Play the Push” attempt (where the hit card results        in a player total hand value of 21 or less)+dealer total        advantage over the player total, dealer wins the hand.    -   Unsuccessful “Play the Push” attempt (where the hit card results        in a player total hand value greater than 21), player loses the        hand.    -   Any scenario where the player achieved a successful backhand or        push hand and both the player total and dealer total are equal.        These scenarios would result in a stalemate (no winner).

What happens next is what is so very special about Missouri CityBackhand. You see, once each seat has resolved their hands, you willhave two individual results for each player; but how do you determine agame winner? Each of these individual hand outcomes can occur for eitherof our two players during a game of Missouri City Backhand and aretherefore used to determine which player wins the game.

Now let's briefly review some similarities “Missouri City Backhand” hasto classic blackjack:

-   -   As in classic blackjack, Missouri City Backhand is played with a        single deck of standard playing cards with the jokers removed.    -   No custom cards or additional game pieces are required to play.    -   “Hitting” and “busting” are used the same way in backhand as        they are in the traditional game of blackjack.

As in the classic game of blackjack, suits do not matter in MissouriCity Backhand.

Face cards are valued at 10 and numbered cards valued according to theirpip value.

Now let's review some differences between blackjack and “Missouri CityBackhand”:

-   -   All the cards in this invention are dealt face up, so there is        no “hole card” in this invention.    -   When playing with multiple players, Missouri City Backhand is        intended to be played in a 1:2:1 ratio (i.e. 1 deck: 2 player        hands: 1 dealer hand).    -   Also unlike in blackjack, there is no splitting, doubling or        insurance options.    -   The dealer hand is dealt face up and contains three show cards        dealt from right to left prior to the initial player hands being        dealt.    -   The term “push” is defined as when either seat decides to push        their initial player hand away in exchange for a new hand. This        option is available to the player when their initial hand value        is between 17 and 20.    -   Aces contained in an initial player hand are valued at 1.    -   Aces contained in the dealer hand (the three dealer show cards        dealt prior to the initial player hands) are valued at 1 or 11        to the advantage of the dealer. Said aces are called “Dealer        Aces.”    -   Aces dealt to the player after the Ace Rule has been satisfied        and are not a part of the initial player hands are valued at 1        when calculating the player's total hand value. Said aces are        also “Dealer Aces.” When calculating the dealer total, said aces        are valued at 1 or 11, to the advantage of the dealer.

Rules—Determining Game Winner (with Neither Player Standing Pat):

-   -   If both players have unsuccessful hands, the game results in a        stalemate (no winner).    -   If one player has a successful hand+player total advantage over        the dealer total (and the other has an unsuccessful hand or a        stalemate) the player with the successful hand will win the        game.    -   If both players win their respective hands+player total        advantage over the dealer total (and the method in which they        won are not the same), then the player with the lowest total        hand value will win the game. If both player total hand values        are equal, then the game will result in a stalemate.    -   If both players have successful backhand plays+player total        advantage over the dealer total, the player with the lowest        player total wins the game. If both player totals are equal,        then the winner shall be decided using the lowest total hand        value. If both player total hand values are equal, then the game        will result in a stalemate.    -   If both players have successful push hands+player total        advantage over the dealer total, the player with the lowest        player total wins the game. If both player totals are equal,        then the winner shall be decided using the lowest total hand        value. If both player total hand values are equal, then the game        will result in a stalemate.    -   If both players have successful five card hands, the player with        the lowest total hand value wins the game. If both player total        hand values are equal, then the game will result in a stalemate.    -   If one player has a successful five card hand and the other        player has a successful hand (of any other type)+player total        advantage over the dealer total, the player with the successful        five card hand shall win the game.

Rules—Determining Game Winner (while Standing Pat):

-   -   If one player stands pat+player total advantage over the dealer        total (and the other player has an unsuccessful hand or a        stalemate); then the player ‘standing pat’ will win the game.    -   If one player stands pat+player total advantage over the dealer        total (and the other player wins their hand with a successful        backhand+player total over the dealer total); then the player        standing pat will compare their total hand value to the other        player's player total. The player with the lower value wins the        game.    -   If one player stands pat+player total advantage over the dealer        total (and the other player wins their hand with a successful        push play+player total over the dealer total); then the player        standing pat will compare their total hand value to the other        player's player total. The player with the lower value wins the        game.    -   If one player stands pat+player total advantage over the dealer        total (and the other player wins their hand with a successful        5-card hand); then the player with the 5-card hand wins the        game.    -   If both players stand pat+player total advantage over the dealer        total, the player with the lowest player total wins the game. If        both player totals are equal, then the winner shall be decided        using the lowest total hand value. If both player total hand        values are equal, then the game will result in a stalemate.

Rules—Standing Pat

-   -   The option to stand pat is available only after the player has        requested a hit card and has achieved player total advantage        over the dealer total.    -   A player cannot stand pat with an initial hand value of between        17 and 20.    -   A player cannot stand pat once they request a backhand card, nor        can a player request a backhand card after standing pat.    -   If a player decides not to stand pat, they cannot stand pat on a        previous card after making a different play.    -   A player can stand pat only once in a hand.    -   A player must choose to stand pat prior to their opponent losing        their hand. If one player has lost their hand and their opponent        has not yet chosen to stand pat, said opponent must resolve        their hand another way without standing pat.    -   Once a player stands pat, their hand is effectively resolved and        they must wait until the other player has resolved their hand.

***Note: Player hands which result in a stalemate (between the playerand the dealer), said hand shall be considered “unsuccessful,” andtherefore treated in the manner set forth in the above rules.

What is being claimed is:
 1. A new method of resolving an initial playerhand consisting of two playing cards dealt face up to a player from astandard deck of playing cards with the jokers removed, positioned faceup on the playing surface in front of the player; where said player(believes that the next card in the deck would in fact cause their handto exceed a numerical value of 21) is allowed to request a “backhandcard” which shall be defined as: (a) the next card dealt to the playerfrom the deck; (b) and who's numerical value is added to the player'scurrent total hand value, resulting in a new total hand value andtherefore two possible outcomes where the new total hand value is lessthan 21 or greater than 21, the former resulting in a loss for theplayer, the latter a win for the player.
 2. This new method has resultedin a series of three playing card counting games derived from theclassic game of blackjack, but are wholly unique in game objective,inventive concept, rules set, mechanics and therefore player experienceand shall be referred to collectively as “The Backhand Series,” aremeant to be played separately and will be referred to individually inthis document as: “Backhand, the card game,” “Buffalo Bayou Backhand,”and “Missouri City Backhand” where all of the cards dealt to the playersshall be dealt facing up and based on the concept of a player beingallowed to predict if/when the next card in the deck will cause theirhand to exceed a total numerical value of
 21. 3. The method of claim onewhere the player was dealt two cards face up from a standard deck ofplaying cards, the “Ace Rule” shall dictate the treatment of initialplayer aces (which are aces that are one of the first two cards dealt tothe player prior to the Ace Rule being satisfied): (a) that if aplayer's initial player hand contains an initial player ace, that acemust be discarded and replaced with the next card in the deck; (b) thatif the player's initial player hand contains two initial player aces,both of them must be discarded and replaced with the next cards from thedeck; (c) that once the ace or aces are replaced, the player must keepthe next cards dealt to them no matter the value or suit; (d) and thatthe Ace Rule is deemed already satisfied if the initial player hand doesnot contain an ace.
 4. The method of claim one, where the player wasdealt two cards face up from a standard deck of playing cards, the aceis valued at only 1 and is either an “initial player ace” or a “playerace” (where an initial player ace is an ace that is one of the first twocards dealt to the player prior to the Ace Rule being satisfied and aplayer ace is an ace that is one of the first two cards dealt to theplayer after the Ace Rule has been satisfied); but in both “BuffaloBayou Backhand,” as well as “Missouri City Backhand” there are also“dealer aces” which are; (a) any other aces dealt to the player afterthe first two cards are dealt; (b) dealt to the player after the AceRule is satisfied, are valued at only 1 for the player, but at 1 or 11to the advantage of the dealer.
 5. The method of claim one, after theinitial player hand is dealt and the Ace Rule is satisfied, the initialhand value shall then be determined (by adding together the numericalvalues of the two cards in the initial player hand) and used todetermine a “hand type” defined as either: a “low hand” (with an initialhand value between 2 and 11), a “play hand” (with an initial hand valuebetween 12 and 16) or a “push hand” (with an initial hand value between17 and 20), the player is then presented with one or more of threedifferent hand options based on the hand type, where: (a) if the handtype is a low hand, the hand options are to take a hit card or callbackhand (although requesting a backhand card in this scenario isdiscouraged); or (b) if the initial player hand is a play hand, the handoptions are to take a hit card or request a backhand card; or (c) if theinitial player hand is a push hand, the hand options are to take a hitcard or push the hand away in return for a new hand.
 6. The method ofclaim five where the initial hand value and hand type are determined andhand options are presented to the player, the following shall apply: (a)if said player at any point in the game requests a backhand card, thebackhand option shall not be available prior to the Ace Rule beingsatisfied (b) that after the Ace Rule is satisfied, if a hit card causesthe player's total hand value to equal 21, but the player's handcontains fewer than 5 cards, the player must still choose to eitherrequest a hit card or a backhand card in order to completely resolve thehand; (b) that after the Ace Rule is satisfied, the backhand optionimmediately becomes available to the player as long as their initialhand value is less than 17 (although calling backhand should be avoidedwhen the player's total hand value is less than 12); (c) that thebackhand option shall remain available to the player throughout theremainder of the hand; (d) that the backhand option is not available onhands with an initial hand value greater than 16; (e) that a backhandcard can only be requested by the player and can only be requested onceper hand; (f) and that the player shall never be dealt more than fivecards in a hand (including hit cards and the backhand card) under anycircumstances.
 7. The method of claim five where a hand type isdetermined and hand options are presented to the player, with regard topush hands: (a) that the option to push is only available to the playerwhen their initial hand value is between 17 and 20; (b) that playercannot request to push with an initial hand value of less than 17 orgreater than 20; (c) that after a player pushes their hand away inexchange for a new hand, a new initial hand value and hand type must bedetermined, and that if the new hand contains an ace, the Ace Rule mustbe satisfied; (d) that after the Ace Rule is satisfied and the resultinghand is another push hand, the player can again elect to push that handor “Play the Push” by requesting a hit card; (e) that as long as theplayer's initial hand value is between 17 and 20, the options to pushthe hand or “play the push” will always remain available to the player,no matter how many push hands are dealt to them consecutively; (f) that“Playing the Push” occurs if the player chooses to take the hit card ona push hand (instead of pushing the hand away) then the player is onlyrequired to take one hit card and that if that hit card doesn't bust theplayer's hand, the player wins the push hand but if the hit card doesbust the player's hand, they have lost the push hand; (g) and that after“playing the push” a player cannot then request to push their hand, noris the backhand option available; (h) nor can a player request to pushtheir hand after being dealt their third card.
 8. In the method of claimfive where a hand type and hand options are presented to the player, ifsaid player at any point in the game requests a hit card (which istreated in the same manner as it is in the traditional game ofblackjack) and after the Ace Rule is satisfied, the following shallapply: (a) that the player can request up to three hit cards in a hand;(b) that if a hit card causes the player's total hand value to exceed21, the player loses with a “busted hand”; (c) that a hit card cannot berequested after a backhand card has been dealt; (d) that if a playerconsecutively hits to a 5-card hand without exceeding a total hand valueof 21, the player wins the hand; (d) and that a 5-card hand cannotinclude a backhand card.
 9. The method of claim two, where a new andnovel method of resolving an initial player hand by predicting if/whenthe next card in the deck will cause the player's hand to exceed a totalhand value of 21, facilitates the creation of three card games, the gameobjective of the first game called “Backhand, the card game” shall be tocompletely resolve the player's hand by: (a) achieving a successfulbackhand request (where the backhand card results in a total hand valuegreater than 21), player wins the hand; or (b) successfully “Play thePush” (where the player's initial hand value is between 17 and 20, andthe hit card results in a total hand value of 21 or less), player winsthe hand; or (c) successfully hit to a 5-card hand (where the playerconsecutively hits to five cards and a total hand value of 21 or less),player wins the hand.
 10. The method of claim two, where a new and novelmethod of resolving an initial player hand by predicting if/when thenext card in the deck will cause the player's hand to exceed a totalhand value of 21, and facilitating the creation of three card games, theobjective of the second game called “Buffalo Bayou Backhand” shall be tocompletely resolve the player's hand (in the same manner as Backhand,the card game) but also with player total advantage over the dealertotal.
 11. The method of claim two, where a new and novel method ofresolving an initial player hand by predicting if/when the next card inthe deck will cause the player's hand to exceed a total hand value of21, and facilitating the creation of three card games, the objective ofthe third game called “Missouri City Backhand” shall be to completelyresolve the player's hand with player total advantage over the dealertotal, but now the players must compare the method in which they arrivedat their individual outcomes to determine who wins the game by using thelowest player total or total hand value.
 12. The method of claim tenwhere the objective of the second game in The Backhand Series called“Buffalo Bayou Backhand” is to completely resolve the player's hand with“player total” advantage over the “dealer total,” the followingdefinitions shall apply: (a)“player total” shall be defined as thecombined numerical values of all the cards dealt to the player up to,but not including the last card dealt to the player; (b) the “dealertotal” is the added numerical values of the last card dealt to theplayer and the dealer show card directly above it; (c) the “dealer totaladvantage” is when the dealer total is greater than the player total;(d) the “player total advantage” is when the player total is greaterthan the dealer total; and (e) the player's “total hand value” is thesum total numerical value of all the cards dealt to the player includingthe initial player hand, the backhand card and any hit cards.
 13. Themethod of claim ten where the objective of the second game in TheBackhand Series called “Buffalo Bayou Backhand” is to completely resolvethe player's hand with “player total” advantage over the “dealer total,”the following rules shall apply: (a) player's successful backhandrequest (where the backhand card results in a total hand value greaterthan 21)+player total advantage over the dealer total (player wins thehand); (b) successful 5-card hand (where the player consecutively hitsto five cards with a total hand value of 21 or less), player wins thehand; (c) successful “Play the Push” attempt (where the hit card resultsin a player total hand value of 21 or less)+player total advantage overthe dealer total, player wins the hand; (d) an unsuccessful backhandrequest (where the backhand card results in a player total hand value of21 or less), player loses the hand; (e) a player's successful backhandrequest (where the backhand card results in a total hand value greaterthan 21)+dealer total advantage over the player total (dealer wins thehand); (f) an unsuccessful hit (where the hit card causes the player'shand to exceed 21), player loses the hand; (g) a successful “Play thePush” attempt (where the hit card results in a player total hand valueof 21 or less)+dealer total advantage over the player total, dealer winsthe hand; (h) an unsuccessful “Play the Push” attempt (where the hitcard results in a player total hand value greater than 21), player losesthe hand; (i) or any scenario where the player achieved a successfulbackhand or push hand and both the player total and dealer total areequal, these scenarios would result in a stalemate (no winner).
 14. Themethod of claim eleven where the objective of the third game in TheBackhand Series called “Missouri City Backhand” is to completely resolvethe player's hand with player total advantage over the dealer total,where the method in which they arrived at their individual outcomes todetermine who wins the game by using the lowest player total or totalhand value; the following rules shall apply: (a) If both players haveunsuccessful hands, the game results in a stalemate (no winner); (b) ifone player has a successful hand+player total advantage over the dealertotal (and the other has an unsuccessful hand or a stalemate) the playerwith the successful hand will win the game; (c) that if both players wintheir respective hands+player total advantage over the dealer total (andthe method in which they won are not the same), then the player with thelowest total hand value will win the game, but if both player total handvalues are equal, then the game will result in a stalemate; (d) that ifboth players have successful backhand plays+player total advantage overthe dealer total, the player with the lowest player total wins the game,but if both player totals are equal, then the winner shall be decidedusing the lowest total hand value or if both player total hand valuesare equal, then the game will result in a stalemate; (e) that if bothplayers have successful push hands+player total advantage over thedealer total, the player with the lowest player total wins the game, butif both player totals are equal, then the winner shall be decided usingthe lowest total hand value, but if both player total hand values areequal, then the game will result in a stalemate; (f) that if bothplayers have successful five card hands, the player with the lowesttotal hand value wins the game, but if both player total hand values areequal, then the game will result in a stalemate; (g) that if one playerhas a successful five card hand and the other player has a successfulhand (of any other type)+player total advantage over the dealer total,the player with the successful five card hand shall win the game. 15.The method of claim eleven where the objective of the third game in TheBackhand Series called “Missouri City Backhand” is to completely resolvethe player's hand with player total advantage over the dealer total,where the method in which they arrived at their individual outcomes areused to determine who wins the game; the following rules shall alsoapply: (a) If one player stands pat+player total advantage over thedealer total (and the other player has an unsuccessful hand or astalemate) then the player ‘standing pat’ will win the game; (b) if oneplayer stands pat+player total advantage over the dealer total (and theother player wins their hand with a successful backhand+player totalover the dealer total); then the player standing pat will compare theirtotal hand value to the other player's player total, the player with thelower value wins the game; (c) if one player stands pat+player totaladvantage over the dealer total (and the other player wins their handwith a successful push play+player total over the dealer total), thenthe player standing pat will compare their total hand value to the otherplayer's player total, and the player with the lower value wins thegame; (d) if one player stands pat+player total advantage over thedealer total (and the other player wins their hand with a successful5-card hand), then the player with the 5-card hand wins the game; (e)and that if both players stand pat+player total advantage over thedealer total, the player with the lowest player total wins the game butif both player totals are equal, then the winner shall be decided usingthe lowest total hand value, or if both player total hand values areequal, then the game will result in a stalemate.
 16. The method of claimfifteen where a player stands pat in the third game of The BackhandSeries “Missouri City Backhand,” the following rules shall apply: (a)the option to stand pat shall only be available to players of MissouriCity Backhand; (b) the option to stand pat is available to said playersonly after a seat has requested a hit card and has achieved player totaladvantage over the dealer total; (c) said players cannot stand pat withan initial hand value of between 17 and 20; (d) said players cannotstand pat once they request a backhand card, nor can said playersrequest a backhand card after standing pat; (e) if said players decidenot to stand pat, they cannot stand pat on a previous card after makinga different play; (f) said players can stand pat only once in a hand;(g) once said players stand pat, their hand is effectively resolved andthey must wait until the other player has resolved their hand; (h) thatsaid players must choose to stand pat prior to their opponent losingtheir hand; (i) and that if one player has lost their hand and theiropponent has not yet chosen to stand pat, said opponent must now resolvetheir hand another way without standing pat.